When dealing with PTSD is it healthy to turn panic into anger?? Not agressive anger or anger which would cause

harm to someone... but an anger that seems to be more directed towards the fact that something (PTSD) is trying to control your life by keeping your mind bound and miserable. What's your opinion on this...is this a step towards dealing with the issues involved in the trauma experienced. Is this a natural reaction? Positive? Healthy? Am I making sense? :) I feel this happening, feeling more anger than fear and panic.

Being angry at the fact that you have PTSD is not productive. it is normal. but as far as healing goes, it won't help you. Only accepting things how they are will heal you. That is what PTSD is all about. When your brain can't process the events that traumatized. you need an experienced PTSD counsilor, or it may get worst dealing with the feelings alone. I will give you a tip though. Allowing yourself to feel whatever comes out IS healthy, but with a therapist only. The first step towards healing is acceptance of what already is. Without judgement. it is hard, i know.

YES YES YES

when you've been through stuff
you will react
good helpers have seen all kinds of reactions
embrace them
just don't stop moving on
you pace, just don't stop

That's not the right way to deal with it. What you need to do is "detach" by grounding. Many people with PTSD struggle with either feeling too much (overwhelming emotions and memories) or too little (numbing dissociation). In grounding, you attain balance between the two-- conscious of reality and able to tolerate it. There are many things you can do. Grounding can be done any time, anyplace, anywhere and no one has to know. Grounding puts healthy distance between you and negative feelings. Don't talk about negative feelings or journal writing. Stay neutral, no judgments of good and bad. Focus on the present, not the past or future. This is not the same as relaxation training.
Ways to ground:
Describe the environment around you in detail: The walls are tan, the ceiling is white, the carpet is blue, my desk is brown, my night stand is oval, my curtains are 4 colors.
Play a categories game with yourself: Try to think of "types of dogs", "States that begin with the letter A", "cars", TV shows, well, just about anything.
Say a safety statement like "My name is ______; I am safe right now. I am in the present, not the past. I am located in __________; the date is ___________."

Or, think of something funny to jolt yourself out of your mood.

Physical Grounding:
Grab tightly onto your chair as hard as you can.
Touch various objects around you & compare objects you touch. Carry a grounding object in your pocket - a small object (small rock, ring, piece of cloth or yarn) then you can touch it whenever you feel triggered.

Soothing Grounding:
Say kind statements like "You are a good person going through a hard time. You'll get through this."
Think of favorites (favorite color, animal, season, food, etc.)
Picture people you care about.

Practice this as often as possible. Try grounding for a long time (20-30 mins). Create your own methods of grounding, it may be worth much more than those you read here because it's yours. Important: Start grounding early in a negative mood cycle.

With proper discipline and practice, it really works!
If you really feel that you need help, the best thing you can do is seek counseling before it gets out of hand. That's what the professionals are there for.

PTSD and or panic attacks involve extremely irrational feelings and emotions. I've never heard of this 'grounding' thing and have my reservations that your feelings may be far too strong and irrational to attempt such mind control as 'grounding'. Psycho-therapy is a more likely helpful scenario as well as using some prescribed anti-depressant such as a tri-cyclic or an SSRI. An 'anti-depressant' does not make a depressed person suddenly happy. They more like 'turn down the thermostat'/threshold of what is making you nervous, jumpy or extremely anxious at the moment so you can deal with it. They help you avoid palpitations, feelings of having a heart attack, uncontrollable trembling and hyper-ventilating.

I believe, and not to simplify by any means, that it has to do with our "fight or flight" reactions. These are primarily involuntary reactions. I'm thinkint that anger is a good thing because it may show that you are ready to start dealing with some of your burried fears rather than "fleeing" from them. Natural, yes. Healthy, I think so. Making sense - completely. Keep facing your demons ^j^. Phil

Being anger is one of many steps of dealing with PTSD. This is one thing you shouldn't let go untreated, seek a counselor you feel comfortable and talk because if you built up your prone to depression and addiction. Everything you feeling and suffering is normal... unfortunately. A counselor may advise you to seek treatment else where and there is medication options to help with the panic and anxiety. In time it will get better, just please don't go untreated(i know from experience. Best of luck, look up to the sun there will be good days and bad but remember to smile.

I find grounding to be really helpful with flashbacks. What it does is help you stay in the present, while experiencing memories and the emotions associated with them. Over time, this helps your brain to process the memories as memories, not as something that is happening now. They recede into the past and become more like a non-traumatic memory.

I think being angry at the abuse and abusers makes a hell of a lot of sense- and it sure beats being angry at yourself. Being angry at the PTSD itself, I'm not sure... Seems like you run the risk of seeing it as a thing out there haunting you, something to be opposed and fought off. I don't think fighting it off works. For me, it makes a lot more sense to think of my PTSD as an attempt by my mind to deal with traumatic experience. And I can use things like grounding and therapy to help guide and speed the process along.

On the other hand, anger does mobilize energy, and ward off fear and panic. I'm just afraid fighting with your PTSD might actually make it last longer.